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H. GROCKER.

BOOK HOLDER.

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H. (JROOKER.

BOOK HOLDER.

No. 348,382. Patented Aug. 31, 1886.

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N. PETERS, PIv a-Ldhogmpher wanam n a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ROCKER, OF BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND.

BOOK-HQLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,382, dated August 31, 1886.

Application filed December 15, 1885. Serial No. 185,684. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CROCKER, of Bristol, in the county of Bristol and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Book-Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to devices for holding books upright upon partiallyfilled bookshelves; and the object of my invention is to produce a cheap and durable holder, and one which may be readily adjusted to shelves differently spaced.

To the above purposes my invention consists in a book-holder composed of a backing-piece adapted to stand upon the shelf and to abut against the side of a book thereon, and provided with a spring-arm adapted to engage beneath the shelf above for the purpose of sustaining the thrust of the line of books, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved book-holder in operative position between the shelves of a book-ease shown in part. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified form ofmy invention. Fig. at is a longitudinal section of the springarm on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a still further modification of my invention. Fig. 6 is a detached View of the serrated guide shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation ofa modified form of the book-holder in operative position between the shelves ofabook-case shown in part. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 9 is a rear view of the same in detached condition. Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the same on the line 10 10 of Fig. 9.

In the said drawings, A designates the backing-piece of the holder, which rests upon the lower shelf bearing the books, and which may be of any suitable or preferred material, wood being the material preferred by me.

B designates the springarm, which may be secured rigidly to the backingpiece A, but

which is preferably secured thereto in such manner as to be adjusted longitudinally thereon. I have shown several ways of securing the adjustable character of arm B.

I11 Figs. 1 and 2 the spring-arm is shown as formed with alongitudinal slot, I). A screw, 1), passes through the slot and into the backingpiece and binds upon the arm only suiiiclently to prevent its detachment from the backingpiece while permitting its longitudlnal adustment thereon. Athumb-screw, b also passes through the slot and enters the backing-piece above the screw 1), so that by loosening thumbscrew 1) the arm B may be adjusted, and by then tightening the screw 1) the arm will be held from sliding upon the backing-piece. In Figs. 3 and 4 the slot I), screw 1), and thumbscrew 1) are used, as before, but a number of teeth, b are punched out of arm B, so as to bite into the backing-piece, and thus more surelypreventany slipping of the arm thereon.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the slot 1), screw 1), and thumb-screw b are used as before,but one edge of arm B is serrated, as at b, and these serrations engage with teeth 0 upon the inner surface of one or two raised edges of a guide, a, through which arm B works. In each of these forms the arm B, when once adjusted, 1S held securely by the thumb-screw If and screw b, and is also held by the teeth or serrations.

\Vhen the device is to be applied to a shelf, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arm is adjusted to correspond with the width of space between the shelves, and is first set with the lower end of the backing-piece against the end book. The upper end of the device is now forced toward the book, whereupon the outer end of the arm B will take into the substance of the upper shelf, and said arm will exert a strong downward pressure against the books, so as to keep them upright. This device is peeuharly adapted to libraries in which books of varlous sizes are kept, and where the holders are subjected to constant and generally careless handling.

In Figs. 7 to:10,' inelusive, I have shown a further modification of my invention, and in which the backing-piece A is formed with a longitudinal groove, a, from the bottom of which opens a slot, a, both slot and groove extending outward to the upper end of the backing-piece A, at which point said groove and slot are left open. The spring-tongue B is secured adj ustably to the backing-piece by the prongs at the outer end of tongue 13, may

be secured to the book-shelf or casing, so as to prevent said tongue from marring the casing or shelf.

In Letters Patent No. 314,437, dated March 7 24, 1885, granted to me for a'book-holder, the said device has a body-piece with a tongue or spring-arm to engage with the upper shelf, the body resting upon a book or other foreign object as a support, and the said holder cannot be adjusted without the aid of such sup- I am also aware of the use of complete.

port.

partition-pieces as book-holders, which are maintained in operative position bytmeans of pegs, rods, rings, or a large foot or cross piece, and hence do not claim such devices.

Thus, the spring-tongue may In either Having thusdescribed my invention, I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An improved book-holder, consisting of a backing-piece adapted to rest upon the lower shelf approximately vertically against the side of an end book in a row, and provided with an adjustable spring-arm adapted to take into the shelf above,substantia1ly as described.

2. The combination, with the backing-piece A, of the spring-arm B, having the slot b, the screw 1), and the thumbscrew b, substantially as set forth. 7

3. The combination, with the backing-piece A, of the spring-arm B, having the slot 1), and means for engaging with the backing-piece, the screw 12, and the thumb-screw If, as specified.

4. The combination, with the shelves, of the book-holder consisting of the backing-piece provided with the spring-arm, which is adjustable longitudinally on said piece by means substantially as described.

HENRY CROOKER.

Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, Jr. M. F. BLIGH. 

